5 Emotions That Harm Your Body

According to Chinese medicine, each emotion is linked to a certain organ and function in the human body. The most common causes of disease are negative attitudes and emotions. Such as: guilt, resentment, the need for attention and fear. Any emotional imbalance can be reflected in the symptoms or illnesses that are produced in these organs.

Diseases emerge in order to avoid unpleasant situations or in order to try to escape them. In Eastern medicine, it is believed that every discomfort is telling us deep down that we should love ourselves. This is because by loving ourselves, in turn, we let our hearts be the ones that guide our lives and not our egos.

Emotions that can cause diseases, according to Chinese medicine

According to Chinese medicine, these are some emotions that could be behind certain diseases or difficulties:

• Sadness or sorrow: It originates from disappointment or, even more severely, from separation or loss. It mainly affects the lungs. Sadness affects the whole body and produces heaviness, shortness of breath, fatigue and depression. Therefore, we require time in order to express and accept our sadness.
• Caution: It arises from insecurity and tends to weaken the spleen. Caution is linked to diseases in the chest and shoulders.
• Fear: Fear is linked to the kidneys, affects the aperture of the stomach, and is associated with renal deficiency. These alterations come from the propensity to suffer from irrational fears. Non-accepted fear is transferred, causing problems in the liver and heart.

• Terror: It is similar to fear, yet it’s more extreme. Terror is associated with physical and emotional problems. It can lead to memory loss, disorientation, palpitations, vertigo, tremors, sweating and fainting.
• Anger: It can take on many forms. Irritability, frustration, envy and rage. Anger transforms into headaches, neck pains, vertigo and specially into liver diseases.

The emotional significance of disease

It is important to know the meaning of illnesses, because this is one of the ways through which our body expresses itself. All of our emotions and thoughts are registered in our cells. Hence, illnesses are warning signs that point to something that isn’t going well.

The following compilation is a summary of the meanings of some of the most common illnesses. All of them are based on holistic medicine, both in traditional Chinese medicine as well as in other complementary Eastern medicine.

• Allergies: It indicates deep fears. Fear of ridding yourself of help when it comes time to be self-sufficient, as well as trying to obtain compassion, support and attention from others.
• Depression: The meaning can be found in the conflict between “the ideal” and reality. Also, between who we are and who we want to be, between what we have and what we want to have.

• Arthritis: Feeling incapable of adapting and being mentally flexible. It is interpreted as lack of confidence and an uncompromising attitude towards life.
• Obesity: Its meaning is found in an internal void, and one turns to food to compensate. Fear of expressing ourselves to others and being vulnerable and susceptible to harm.
• Nervousness: Lack of contact with your inner self. Everything is seen from a subjective point of view, such as in egocentrism. Feeling insecure and afraid of being attacked and being incapable of getting rid of selfish attitudes.

Emotions can trigger or accentuate an illness. Nevertheless, these can also reverse the situation. Thus, trading in the disease for health.

In order for this to happen, you only need to be able to recognize the emotions that cause imbalances within your body and transform them. In Eastern medicine, self-awareness of our emotions is granted special importance. This is something that Western psychology is starting to keep in mind.